Man Honors His Best Friend By Flushing Him Down Toilets In Baseball Stadiums

Roy Reigel, Mets fan, plumber, and according to his friends a “brilliant, wild guy”, passed away in 2008.

His best friend Tom McDonald was tasked with disposing of his ashes in an “appropriate manner”, and in a story in The New York Times, Mr. McDonald has found the perfect way to honor his best friends memory.

He flushes Roy Reigel’s ashes down the toilet at ballparks across the country.

“The game has to be in progress — that’s a rule of mine,” at a bathroom at Citi Field, in New York City where the Mets play. He was holding a small Advil bottle that contained a scoopful of Mr. Riegel’s ashes.

“I took care of Roy, and I had to use the facilities myself,” said Mr. McDonald. “So I figure, you know, kill two birds.”

“I always flush in between, though,” he added. “That’s another rule of mine.”

Mr. McDonald keeps Mr. Reigel’s ashes in a peanut can next to his collection of Hall of Fame baseball autographs.

He didn’t start this journey flushing the ashes, but after a few logistical issues he found that flushing them was the best way.

After flushes in stadiums in Arizona, Atlanta, St. Louis, Kansas City, Mo., Toronto, Detroit, Cincinnati, Baltimore and elsewhere, he has just enough ashes for one more tribute.

So Mr. Reigel will get one more flush, which Mr. McDonald plans to carry out at Durham Athletic Park, the minor league ballpark where the movie “Bull Durham was filmed.

“I know people might think it’s weird, and if were anyone else’s ashes. I’d agree, but for Roy, this is a perfect tribute to a plumber and a baseball fan and just a brilliant, wild guy.”

“He would definitely approve of it. Never once did Roy follow the rules.”